Early Police Chief David Mercer said today that the Early Police Department and the Brownwood Police Department executed a search warrant Friday night at a home in the 1600 block of Belle Plain after an investigation of illegal drug sales in the Early and Brownwood area was conducted over the past week.

Sgt Shawn Dibrell with the Early Police Department obtained a search warrant for the residence in Brownwood which was reviewed and signed by Judge Frank Griffin.  A “no knock” search warrant was issued due to the threat of guns possibly being in the residence and the danger of the evidence being destroyed Mercer said.

Sgt Dibrell met with officers from Brownwood and executed the search warrant at approximately 10:30pm. Mercer said that when entry was made to the residence, officers located 28-year old David Autrey, 27-year-old Candice Autrey, 22-year-old Aaron Riddle and 19-year-old Tiffany Dunlay Riddle.  According to police reports, all 4 individuals were in the living area packaging marijuana in bags to be sold, and a small child was also in the room with the suspects. CPS was contacted to take possession of the child.

Mercer said that David Autrey admitted that the marijuana was for sale and the he travels to Austin to purchase the marijuana and brings it back to Brownwood and Early to sell.

All 4 individuals were arrested on charges of Possession of Marijuana. David  Autrey was also charged with Delivery of Marijuana.

Saturday morning in an unrelated instance, Officer Johnny Brown stopped a black Buick Lasabre in the 400 block of Early Blvd after observing it swerve back and forth in the traffic lanes according to police reports. Officer Brown administered standard field sobriety test and placed the driver, 47-year-old Richard Jay Chancellor in custody for DWI.